Chapter 0126: Xia Chiyi: Pika-pika acting coquettish

“Liu Suchen! Your abs are so defined! Compared to you, I’m just a little brother!”

“You were always a little brother to begin with.” Liu Suchen lifted his T-shirt, looking down with a smile as he observed Xia Chiyi’s focused expression, which looked as if he were conducting archaeological research.

Mo Chuang nudged Liu Suchen, telling him to yield the display spot. “Then look at mine, aren’t they even better than Liu Suchen’s?”

Xia Chiyi’s eyes lit up, and he leaned closer. “Wow, how did you train for these? They literally look like a real armored vest!”

Mo Chuang laughed heartily. “Our Captain Lu is the real deal—looks slim with clothes on, but strip him down and he’s totally Superman!”

Just as they were talking, Lu Yingnan walked over wearing a coffee-colored T-shirt and black athletic shorts, a towel draped over his head. As he wiped his hair with one hand, the lines of his shoulders and arms flexed—restrained yet exuding a sense of security. The hem of his T-shirt was slightly lifted, revealing a small section of his abs, inexplicably radiating an alluring vibe.

Xia Chiyi and Liu Suchen exchanged a glance. Liu Suchen immediately understood and threw an arm around Lu Yingnan’s shoulders.

“Nan-nan…”

He had barely squeezed out those two syllables when Lu Yingnan instantly put him in a chokehold.

“Do you want to die?”

“We’re in the middle of an abs competition, and we sincerely invite you to join!”

“You’re sick.” Lu Yingnan released his grip and quickly walked away from this group of nutjobs.

“Little Chiyi, how many points do you give my abs? Out of a hundred?” Liu Suchen flashed a devastatingly wicked smirk.

“Hmm, 90 points.”

“Only 90 points? What about Master Chuang?” Liu Suchen asked with a look of regret.

“95 points. I deducted 5 points because I’m afraid Master Chuang would get too proud,” Xia Chiyi said cheerfully.

“In front of me, Liu Suchen is just a little chick.” Mo Chuang looked arrogant.

Liu Suchen suddenly shouted loudly again, “Old Yang, come over here for a sec!”

“What is it?” Yang Huaiyu, wearing slippers, slowly sauntered over.

“Abs competition. I only got 90 points, and Mo Chuang got 95! What about you? Show ’em off and let’s see how many points the judge gives you.”

Yang Huaiyu said lazily, “This judge is clearly a fake. If Mo Chuang gets 95, a pretty boy like you, Liu Suchen, gets a 60 at most, barely passing.”

“The fake judge you’re talking about is little Chiyi.”

“Oh? Is it?” The smile in Yang Huaiyu’s voice became more pronounced as he swayed over. “Then that 90 points was probably a friendship score.”

Xia Chiyi revealed an expectant expression. “Old Yang, you’re so good at double-clutching, your core muscles must be amazing. Let me see!”

Yang Huaiyu actually very generously lifted his shirt for Xia Chiyi to see.

“Wow, not only do the cuts look deep, but they’re also very beautiful! I give it a 98!”

“What’s with the deducted 2 points?” Yang Huaiyu asked with a smile.

Liu Suchen winked at Yang Huaiyu while saying, “Afraid you’ll get too proud.”

These two guys then quickly intercepted Lu Yingnan, who was just walking out of the showers, holding him up by his arms.

Liu Suchen smiled shamelessly, “Nan-nan, don’t be shy! Deep down, you really want to compete with us, right?”

“No, I don’t. I don’t want to participate in your retarded contest. How is this any different from elementary school boys comparing sizes in the bathroom?”

Yang Huaiyu laughed. “Of course there’s a difference. Even I didn’t get a perfect score from little brother Chiyi. We, the Division I Big Three, can only rely on you to salvage our pride.”

Standing in the back, Mo Chuang watched Liu Suchen and Yang Huaiyu kidnapping his captain; his mouth hung open wide enough to fit a goose egg.

“Just who gave them the courage? Our legs go soft just from one look from Captain Lu, and Yang Huaiyu and Liu Suchen actually dare to do this?”

Standing on the sidelines, Zhou Zhexiao answered, “Anyway, it wasn’t Fish Leong.”

In no time, Lu Yingnan was delivered in front of the judge, and the two perpetrators even helped lift Lu Yingnan’s T-shirt.

“Wow…” Xia Chiyi was mildly shocked.

He thought that since Lu Yingnan played point guard and didn’t need to charge the front lines like Liu Suchen and Yang Huaiyu, he wouldn’t have that much muscle.

Seeing his neatly arranged abs, Xia Chiyi had to admit that to become one of the Big Three, none of them were pushovers.

“Well, his is definitely worse than mine, right?” Liu Suchen stared at Xia Chiyi with burning eyes, determined to find someone to place at the bottom.

“Hmm… Captain Lu, why do you also have such nice-looking abs?” Xia Chiyi bent over, resting his hands on his knees. When he tilted his head up to look at Lu Yingnan, it inexplicably made Lu Yingnan nervous, causing his shoulders and back to tense up.

Lu Yingnan didn’t speak, but Xia Chiyi continued, “I think we all need to be careful.”

“Careful of what?” Lu Yingnan asked.

“You can definitely double-clutch, and you’re probably very good at it.” Xia Chiyi looked at him seriously.

Standing behind Xia Chiyi, Mo Chuang was surprised. “How did you know? When Zhuo Zheng first joined our team, he was a troublemaker and got disciplined by Captain Lu! Captain Lu pulled off double-clutch layups right over his head, three times!”

“See?” Xia Chiyi gave an “I knew it” expression.

Lu Yingnan showed a hint of helpless resignation, giving up on struggling. “Alright, then hurry up and give me a score, and let me go once you’re done.”

“97 points.” Xia Chiyi gave a thumbs-up.

“What? Lu Yingnan is a guard, and his abs scored higher than mine? Xia Chiyi, there is absolutely something wrong with your aesthetics!” Liu Suchen vigorously ruffled the top of Xia Chiyi’s head.

“I’m actually curious whose abs could get a perfect 100 points from you,” Yang Huaiyu asked, amused.

Xia Chiyi quickly moved his feet, arriving by Zhou Zhexiao’s side. “Ta-da-da-da! Zhou Zhexiao, of course! Just look at this definition, these sleek lines, this tension, this…”

Before he could finish, Zhou Zhexiao clamped a hand over Xia Chiyi’s head and pulled him away from this group of silly roe deer comparing abs.

“What are you doing? I haven’t finished showing off your abs to them yet…”

Zhou Zhexiao leaned in close to Xia Chiyi’s ear and whispered, “If you don’t take your shower soon, your elastic compression pants are going to dry out.”

Buzz— Xia Chiyi’s ears turned so red they looked like they were on fire.

His attention had finally been diverted, only for Zhou Zhexiao to bring it up again. Xia Chiyi’s heart almost leapt out of his throat.

“Wow, is there anyone who can 100% counter this little monster Xia Chiyi?” Liu Suchen said, stroking his chin.

Yang Huaiyu smiled, “That would inevitably be Zhou Zhexiao.”

Lu Yingnan turned to leave, not forgetting to drop a parting remark: “Shouldn’t a certain player whose abs ranked dead last hurry back and start working out?”

Liu Suchen lifted his chin, displaying an arrogant expression. “I’m not falling for that! Xia Chiyi is obviously just showing favoritism towards you because you’re a guard like him!”

“Alright then. I’ll continue to work hard before the National Tournament. Suit yourself.” Lu Yingnan nodded and left.

Liu Suchen sighed. “The Division I League’s top overachiever—it’s none other than Lu Yingnan.”

At this moment, only Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao were left in the shower area.

Thank goodness Qing Da’s basketball arena bathrooms had been renovated in the last year or two. Each shower stall was separated by cement walls and had a plastic curtain on the outside. It was completely opaque; no one could see anyone else.

As the warm water cascaded down from above Xia Chiyi’s head, he belatedly realized that Zhou Zhexiao seemed a little bit unhappy?

Ever since he became the abs judge, Zhou Zhexiao had remained completely silent.

Was it because he praised the other guys’ abs? But… he had given Zhou Zhexiao’s abs 100 points.

As he pulled off his compression pants, the memories of what had just happened flooded back, and that heart-pounding sensation returned. Xia Chiyi immediately turned the dial to cold water and rinsed himself.

What do you mean ‘it’s normal after a thrilling match’?

Zhou Zhexiao didn’t look thrilled at all; he had effortlessly helped calm Xia Chiyi’s racing heart.

Feeling unresigned, Xia Chiyi wrapped a towel around his waist, quietly pulled back his curtain, and tiptoed out.

His slippers made a “squeak” on the tile floor. Xia Chiyi froze, feeling guilty, but there was no response from Zhou Zhexiao behind the curtain. Xia Chiyi comforted himself, assuming the sound of the water had covered it up.

He stealthily lifted Zhou Zhexiao’s curtain. His own behavior felt a bit like a pervert… Wait, Zhou Zhexiao is his officially certified boyfriend. Zhou Zhexiao has already seen every inch of him; looking back now is completely fair play.

What greeted his eyes were Zhou Zhexiao’s back muscles. The lines honed by years of playing basketball exuded a restrained yet fluid sense of power.

His damp black hair clung to the nape of his neck, looking like vines extending from his body, radiating an enchanting charm.

When Zhou Zhexiao tilted his head slightly back and raised a hand to rest on the side of his neck—a seemingly casual motion—it subtly engaged his body’s lines. Xia Chiyi’s heart tightened, his hot blood rushing to pump wildly in his chest.

“If you want to look, come inside and look.”

Zhou Zhexiao turned his face sideways. Xia Chiyi saw his high nose bridge, his wet but stubbornly curled eyelashes, and his sharp jawline.

And that sentence accurately pierced straight through Xia Chiyi’s heart.

“Who the hell wants to look at you!”

Xia Chiyi immediately turned around and ducked back into his own shower stall.

God damn it! Damn it! Damn it!

Xia Chiyi, you’re so useless. It was just Zhou Zhexiao’s back, what the hell are you getting so excited for!

In the end, Zhou Zhexiao finished his shower before Xia Chiyi. Through the curtain, he said, “I’ll wait for you outside.”

Truly without any lingering attachment—he didn’t even bother to peek through Xia Chiyi’s curtain.

“Ah… It seems I really have absolutely no charm…”

Once Xia Chiyi finally completely calmed down, mentally reviewing Zhou Zhexiao’s back three or four times without any special reaction, he let out a long sigh, grabbed his waterproof bag, and returned to the locker room.

Zhou Zhexiao was sitting on the bench, holding his phone and watching Pokémon. A white towel was draped over his head, and from Xia Chiyi’s angle, he could only see the tip of his nose.

Why is this kinda cute?

Xia Chiyi reached out a hand and patted Zhou Zhexiao’s head, his heart softening.

Zhou Zhexiao didn’t look away from the screen, but he subconsciously followed the heat source, leaning his head toward Xia Chiyi and rubbing slightly.

Ah… this guy is subconsciously acting coquettish again.

Alright, Zhou Zhexiao watched cartoons, and Xia Chiyi absorbed Zhou Zhexiao.

“Why do you like watching this? I haven’t watched it since I graduated elementary school,” Xia Chiyi said softly.

“Because he looks like you,” Zhou Zhexiao replied.

“Looks like me? Who looks like me? Ash?”

“Squirtle.”

Xia Chiyi almost did a spit-take. “How do I look like Squirtle? You could have at least said I look like Pikachu, and I’d barely be able to accept it!”

At least shocking you with 100,000 volts counts as an ultimate move.

“Big eyes, clear and easy to fool.”

“Get lost.” Xia Chiyi deliberately pulled his shoulder away, but Zhou Zhexiao followed closely, effortlessly leaning on him again.

“The way you pout looks the same too.” Zhou Zhexiao lifted his eyes, looking seriously at Xia Chiyi.

His bangs slipped over his forehead. This guy’s eyes were very deep, brimming with unconcealed anticipation.

“Then you’re Pikachu.”

“How do I look like that silly, sweet electric mouse?” Zhou Zhexiao lowered his head and continued watching the cartoon.

“Oh, the eyes look similar, the face looks similar, even the body shape. The way you yawn when you want to sleep is a 1-to-1 replica.”

Operating on the principle of “If I say it looks like it, then it does,” Xia Chiyi began to wantonly spread rumors.

“Shock you to death,” Zhou Zhexiao retaliated with a few simple words, sounding cold and muffled.

“Hahaha, bring it on.” Xia Chiyi leaned close to Zhou Zhexiao’s ear and whispered against his auricle, “Pika, pika, pi—ka—chu—”

The ear on Zhou Zhexiao’s side suddenly turned red. His shoulders shrugged up as if trying to push Xia Chiyi away, but Xia Chiyi deliberately blocked him with one hand. Pretending to whisper secrets, he wickedly bit down on Zhou Zhexiao’s earlobe, the tips of his teeth feeling the cartilage.

—This guy is feeling shy. If I don’t press the advantage, he’ll quickly revert to his desireless state.

Zhou Zhexiao, who had his legs crossed, stretched them out, the heel of his right foot rubbing hard against the floor.

His heart was beating rapidly.

He had once navigated the fiercely competitive NCAA, experienced the ever-changing winds of the NBA, and even when the car crash that took his life happened, he had merely felt his nerves tighten, raising his hands to brace against the car roof while reflecting that his career had been quite illustrious.

It seemed all problems could be solved with reason, and whatever couldn’t be solved could be left to fate.

But only Xia Chiyi was different. Every light touch from him was like the sound of a piano ringing out in an empty room—Zhou Zhexiao wanted to grasp it but couldn’t, yet every time it filled him with anticipation.

His ear was bitten, and his blood began to surge.

Zhou Zhexiao couldn’t do anything to Xia Chiyi. He could only grip his hand tightly, squeezing his knuckles, listening to his whines of “It hurts” and “I was wrong.” Zhou Zhexiao lifted his head, seeing Xia Chiyi’s translucent, glass-bead-like eyes, and his heart melted uncontrollably again. His small pleas for mercy made Zhou Zhexiao simulate countless ways to punish him in his mind, possessing endless possessiveness.

But Zhou Zhexiao could only obscurely restrain himself. He relaxed the grip of his fingers, gently interlocking them with Xia Chiyi’s, brushing against the spaces between his fingers.

Even though no one could see them, in this quiet locker room, they simulated kissing with their fingers.

“Xia Chiyi, are you done washing yet? Don’t go swiping all the money off my meal card!”

Liu Suchen’s voice rang out, shattering the gentle and romantic atmosphere.

“Why are you so stingy! Swiping your meal card clean wouldn’t even be that much money!”

“Are you kidding? There’s three thousand yuan on there!”

What? There’s that much money?

“Since there’s three thousand yuan, then I’ll wash one more time!”

It seemed Qing Da provided subsidies for their varsity athletes, except these subsidies were deposited directly into their meal cards.

During the Northeast Division matches, Liu Suchen hadn’t eaten much at school, so naturally, his meal card had a little surplus.

Walking out of the locker room, the basketball court was in free practice time, surrounded by various sounds of playing and chatting.

For instance, He Bin had been dragged off by Song Boyun to discuss three-point running routes. Qing Da’s Huo Cheng and He Denglou had been forcibly conscripted to set screens. Song Boyun was running around in a mess, getting his head smacked and his butt kicked by his two teammates in turns.

“Stop hitting! Stop hitting! I’m getting dumber the more you hit me!” The sight of Song Boyun holding his head and taking a beating shocked He Bin.

He Bin suddenly felt that Ningchang University’s atmosphere was truly harmonious and loving.

The surroundings were filled with the squeak of sneakers against the floor and various chatting voices. Only Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao huddled on the sidelines, looking as if they didn’t belong to this world.

Yet they inexplicably blended perfectly with the atmosphere of the court. Xia Chiyi felt a unique sense of peace.

Just as Zhou Zhexiao finished an episode of his cartoon, a few players from the women’s basketball team walked over.

Ningchang University didn’t have a women’s basketball team, and Xia Chiyi didn’t know many girls who played basketball. When they approached him, Xia Chiyi suddenly felt nervous and immediately stood up.

Leaning on his shoulder playing on his phone, Zhou Zhexiao suddenly lost his support and almost fell over. He propped himself up, looking up at Xia Chiyi in dissatisfaction.

Xia Chiyi perfunctorily tugged at Zhou Zhexiao’s sleeve, lowering his voice: “Girls are coming.”

We have to be polite.

Zhou Zhexiao blocked his telepathic connection with Xia Chiyi, refusing to receive the message, and continued playing on his phone.

The captain of Qing Da’s women’s basketball team smiled, asking gracefully, “Xia Chiyi, I wonder if your stamina has recovered? Could you give us some guidance on our shooting?”

“Me…?” Xia Chiyi pointed at himself.

“Mhm, of course, you.”

The other women’s basketball players also started laughing—a chorus of bright, slightly shy laughter.

Xia Chiyi nodded. “Sure, do we have a court? They seem to have taken over all of them.”

The women’s captain looked toward Liu Suchen and called out, “Liu Suchen! Clear out a court for us; we need to practice too!”

Liu Suchen, who normally acted like he was the king of the world, immediately cleared the court like an eager lackey. In less than a minute, a basketball court was vacated.

Standing at the free-throw line, Xia Chiyi broke down his shooting motion frame by frame.

From stopping the ball, to dipping it, to raising it above his head, how to snap the wrist, and how to form a high arc—he explained every detail meticulously to the women’s team members.

Soon, it wasn’t just the women’s team; even players from other teams gathered around. While watching Xia Chiyi correct the girls’ forms, they silently practiced the motions in their heads or on the sidelines.

Xia Chiyi taught very carefully. He didn’t blindly demand others copy his posture. Instead, he let them shoot first, identified any uncoordinated areas, and corrected them little by little.

Zhou Zhexiao was initially scrolling on his phone, but unconsciously, he looked up, resting his chin on his hand as he watched Xia Chiyi’s focused side profile.

He was sparkling; he did everything with such earnestness. Even towards strangers, as long as they were full of enthusiasm, Xia Chiyi would return the same level of sincerity.

It gave people an impulse to love him madly.

The women’s captain’s shoulders were too stiff when she dipped the ball, meaning the dip wasn’t helping generate power. After Xia Chiyi guided her through a few shots, she became increasingly accurate.

The other female players couldn’t help but whisper among themselves. However, the core of their conversation wasn’t Xia Chiyi, but the cross-legged Zhou Zhexiao playing on his phone on the sidelines.

“I inexplicably feel like Zhou Zhexiao is so well-behaved.”

“Right, it’s like his dad is working, and he’s the sensible kid playing by himself on the side.”

“Haven’t you guys noticed he acts like he’s not close with anyone, yet he’s super clingy to Xia Chiyi?”

Meanwhile, Xia Chiyi was standing next to a shooting guard.

“My shots always easily get blocked. But if I rush the release, it’s easy to brick it…”

The girl looked at Xia Chiyi with big, bright eyes. She had slightly wavy black short hair and a high nose bridge; she looked very sweet.

Xia Chiyi glanced at Zhou Zhexiao sitting on the sidelines, feeling an inexplicable closeness to this girl—probably because she had the same hairstyle as Zhou Zhexiao.

“Your hip hinge and knee bend are both too deep.” Xia Chiyi stood beside the girl, mimicking her posture. “Look, this causes a fast release but a slow jump, breaking the chain of power. You have to believe that shooting might be the technique in basketball least reliant on pure strength, so don’t use brute force!”

The girl watched Xia Chiyi’s serious profile. His short, thick eyelashes added a pure quality to his handsome features. Both his tone of voice and the way he looked at her made him seem reliable and patient.

Not even her own trainer analyzed her movements this meticulously.

“Let’s smooth out the sequence of power generation. Once the sequence is right, practice it a few more times to build muscle memory, and you won’t be afraid of people blocking your shots anymore.” Xia Chiyi looked at her, his eyes curving into crescents as he smiled.

Girls who frequently played basketball were generally taller than average girls and possessed brighter personalities. Sometimes they trained with the men’s team, so they mingled with Liu Suchen and the others as if they were brothers, even mocking each other when discussing techniques.

A gentle and patient guidance like Xia Chiyi’s was truly like a spring breeze and rain to them.

“We need to start generating power from the ankles, transferring the force to the knees and then the hips.” Xia Chiyi looked at the players around him, reminding them earnestly, “Remember, the power starts from the ankles.”

“Mhm!”

The female players gathered around responded in unison.

“Use the body’s elasticity to shoot; absolutely do not use brute force. At first, you might not be used to generating power from the ankles, being accustomed to starting from the knees, but after a few tries, you’ll adapt. It’s like reversing a waterfall!”

Xia Chiyi gave a demonstration. Sure enough, it looked effortless, and the release was much faster.

The girls all burst into applause.

Standing to the side, Qing Da’s shooting guard Song Boyun wore an utterly baffled expression. “Why are they so nice to Xia Chiyi? Their expressions are gentle, and they draw out their words as if they’re acting coquettish? Last time I helped them practice left-hand layups, I jumped holding a foam pad over two hundred times. When I said I was tired and needed water, they despised me for being useless! Is Xia Chiyi that useful?”

Center He Denglou sighed, rubbing Song Boyun’s head as he asked, “What do you call Captain Wang of the women’s team?”

Song Boyun grinned, “Old Wang Next Door.”

“What do you call their center?”

Song Boyun felt slightly guilty: “Thanos…”

He Denglou raised an eyebrow. “And Tie Yun?”

“Old Iron.”

“And you expect them to give you a good attitude?”

“I treat them like brothers!”

“So you also enjoy being treated like a brother by them.”

“Then what about Xia Chiyi? Look at Tie Yun’s expression; she even went ‘Mhm,’ drawing out the sound so long. Is she blushing? She’s blushing!”

He Denglou looked at Song Boyun’s exasperated face and found it absolutely hilarious.

“Then next time try calling her ‘Xiao Yun’, maybe she’ll be a bit nicer to you.”

Right at that moment, Song Boyun despairingly heard Xia Chiyi ask: “Xiao Yun, did you learn it?”

“Ahhhhh, I hate Xia Chiyi! Not only did he steal Coach Li’s favor, but he also stole my Xiao Yun!”

Song Boyun had been secretly crushing on Xiao Yun for three months, trying everything to get her attention, only to have his home base stolen by Xia Chiyi in an instant.

Hearing the female players’ continuous “Oh”s and “Understood”s, which sounded like another joyful season, Zhou Zhexiao placed his phone face down on his knee, staring absentmindedly at Xia Chiyi.

Ling Huanzhen walked up behind Zhou Zhexiao, crossing his arms as he gloated, “He really is popular with the girls.”

Zhou Zhexiao frowned. Was that weird? He was also very popular with boys; he had bros everywhere, and he’d never go hungry no matter where he went.

Ye Chaoying had somehow also sauntered over, crouching beside Zhou Zhexiao. “Hey, if the women’s team had a ‘Most Popular Player’ vote, Xia Chiyi would definitely win the championship.”

He Bin also came behind Zhou Zhexiao and commented, “Being handsome is secondary. The key is that he’s patient and empathetic. What girl doesn’t like a handsome, gentle little milk dog?”

Ling Huanzhen stroked his chin. “What you said makes a lot of sense. What a pity… I never had the chance to be a little milk dog.”

Zhou Zhexiao, who had remained silent, spoke up: “Even if we turned back time, you’d be a house-destroying Husky at best, constantly tap-dancing on Jiao Yingfeng’s landmines. You’re a total dog, but there’s absolutely zero milk.”

Ling Huanzhen felt the pain of taking an arrow to the knee. He Bin stayed silent, while Ye Chaoying just burst out laughing.

Xia Chiyi was leaning over to guide someone on how to bend their knees, and happened to catch sight of Zhou Zhexiao through the gap between two players.

What’s wrong with this guy?

His eyes were dim, his expression lonely, looking just like a dog left out in the rain. It made Xia Chiyi’s heart soften; even if the sky were falling, he had to put it on hold.

Handing the basketball back to the women’s captain, Xia Chiyi smiled and said, “You guys figure it out for a bit, I’m going to get some water.”

“Okay, no problem!”

Xia Chiyi walked over, sat down next to Zhou Zhexiao, and lightly bumped him with his shoulder. “What’s wrong? Phone out of battery? Or did they mock you for watching Pokémon?”

The other three were suddenly drawn in. Ling Huanzhen excitedly tried to grab Zhou Zhexiao’s phone.

“Fake, right? This has to be fake! I still vividly remember your disdainful look when Jiao Yingfeng and I watched Gundam together! And now you’re watching Pikachu?”

“Um? Coach Ling, when you were watching Gundam, Zhou Zhexiao was probably at the age where he was watching Big Head Son and Small Head Father, right?” Ye Chaoying asked.

Xia Chiyi immediately blocked their devilish claws. “Pokémon is full of positive energy, it’s so cute! Ignore them.”

Zhou Zhexiao stared at Xia Chiyi for a long time. “Looking at it now, you really don’t look like Squirtle. You look more like Ash.”

Ye Chaoying was the first to shout out: “Huh? Zhou Zhexiao, there’s a problem with your aesthetics, right? Xia Chiyi is way more handsome than Ash!”

He Bin had also watched Pokémon when he was little and couldn’t help but comment: “To be fair, Xia Chiyi looks more like Squirtle, right?”

“Stop bringing up Squirtle!” Xia Chiyi had absolutely no doubt that by tomorrow, his nickname would change from “Ningchang Small Potato” to “Ningchang Squirtle.”

But Ling Huanzhen was very interested, insisting on continuing the topic. “What does Squirtle look like?”

Ye Chaoying excitedly searched it up for him. Ling Huanzhen’s eyes lit up, and all three of them said in unison, “Uncanny resemblance.”

Xia Chiyi quickly refreshed their memory, “Zhou Zhexiao just said it, I look more like Ash!”

At least Ash is human.

Zhou Zhexiao said slowly, “Yes, you’re more like Ash. Ash has over seventy Pokémon. Besides Pikachu, he also has Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Fletchling… so many to choose from. As long as Ash wants to, he can pick a different one every day for 365 days.”

Zhou Zhexiao maintained that posture. His eyes were beautiful to begin with—deep and soft—now revealing a trace of teasing laughter, stunning and moving.

Xia Chiyi realized that being surrounded by so many people earlier had made his boyfriend feel a bit left out.

“But only Pikachu is the most special. It was Ash’s first, accompanied Ash through near-death experiences, and in the very end, it’s still the one by Ash’s side.”

Xia Chiyi’s face was completely sincere. He had to coax him right now, immediately. Only by coaxing him well would there be a beautiful future.

Ling Huanzhen watched the two of them and scratched his head. “Why does this feel like a love confession?”

Xia Chiyi tilted his head back, looking at Ling Huanzhen. “That’s right, I’m confessing. Can you third wheels step a bit further away?”

The “Third Wheel Trio” sensibly walked away.

Ling Huanzhen sighed. “Ah, if Jiao Jiao were friends with the whole world, I’d probably be very jealous too. Thankfully, Jiao Jiao has prince syndrome; I’m the only one in this world who would indulge him.”

Ye Chaoying & He Bin: Are you sure?

Zhou Zhexiao lifted his eyelids, his gaze saying: Please continue your confession.

“So… Zhou Zhexiao, I will make many friends, and talk and play basketball with many people. But all my happiness doesn’t stem from them, but because you are by my side. If you weren’t here, no matter how many people were around, I would only feel empty.”

Zhou Zhexiao continued resting his chin on his hand, looking at Xia Chiyi, his gaze growing deeper and more focused.

“Don’t just look at me, aren’t you going to give a response?” Xia Chiyi said.

After a long while, Zhou Zhexiao spoke: “Pika pika.”

“Huh?”

“That’s what Pikachu says when he’s happy.” Zhou Zhexiao paused, leaning toward Xia Chiyi. “Pika pika.”

Xia Chiyi froze. He felt the smile in the depths of Zhou Zhexiao’s eyes, and his heart was about to burst.

“Ah, how can you be so cute! You shocked me!”

Xia Chiyi grabbed Zhou Zhexiao’s head and rubbed it vigorously. If they weren’t on the sidelines of a basketball court, he definitely would have kissed Zhou Zhexiao to death.

Standing in the distance, Ye Chaoying rubbed the back of his head. “Why do I always feel like the Pokémon these two are watching is a different version from what we watched?”

“How is it a different version?” He Bin asked.

“Well, their version… is incredibly romantic,” Ye Chaoying replied.

Ling Huanzhen muttered silently, “Then I’m going back to watch it with Jiao Jiao.”

Jiao Yingfeng, who was currently on vacation, lying on a beach chair soaking up the sun, inexplicably let out a huge sneeze.

The members of the women’s basketball team were practicing their shots one by one.

After Xia Chiyi’s one-on-one guidance, the players’ shooting accuracy had seen a noticeable improvement. The women’s coach stood on the sidelines with crossed arms, constantly nodding.

“Xia Chiyi’s ball feel is truly beyond ordinary.” Liu Suchen stood on the sidelines, his left arm around Yang Huaiyu, his right arm around Lu Yingnan.

“His shooting arc is very high, making it hard to block him.” Yang Huaiyu glanced pointedly at Lu Yingnan. “If you want to defend him, you can only stick to him tightly, leaving him no shooting space and making sure he can’t receive the ball. Just like how you defended that Santos today.”

Lu Yingnan didn’t answer Yang Huaiyu, but instead walked toward Xia Chiyi.

“No way, what is Lu Yingnan trying to do? Are the two major guards of the Division I League going to tear each other’s hair out?” Liu Suchen excitedly grabbed the hair on the back of Yang Huaiyu’s head.

Yang Huaiyu’s normally unflappable face showed a rare expression of pain. “If you don’t let go, I’m going to rip your scalp off.”

At this time, Xia Chiyi had his head resting on Zhou Zhexiao’s shoulder, immersed with him in the world of Pikachu. He occasionally let out childish giggles, repeatedly mimicking Pikachu’s language by Zhou Zhexiao’s ear.

“Um, Xia Chiyi, can we have an exchange regarding shooting?”

“Hmm?” Xia Chiyi lifted his eyes, meeting Lu Yingnan’s gaze.

“Ah… actually, never mind.”

With that, Xia Chiyi closed his right eye and even rubbed it.

“Are you tired?” Lu Yingnan asked.

“Mhm.” Xia Chiyi nodded, tilting his chin up to look at Lu Yingnan. “Battery depleted. I just shot over a hundred balls with the women’s team.”

Zhou Zhexiao spoke up: “One hundred and forty-three.”

Huh? Zhou Zhexiao actually counted.

After a long silence, Lu Yingnan said, “Sorry to bother you.”

Having said that, Lu Yingnan turned around and walked away.

Seeing Lu Yingnan walking back, Liu Suchen and Yang Huaiyu were both stunned.

“My God, there’s actually a day when Lu Yingnan takes the initiative to interact with someone else,” Yang Huaiyu said.

“Shouldn’t the main point be—there’s actually a day when Lu Yingnan takes the initiative to interact with someone, only to be ruthlessly rejected by them?” Liu Suchen said.

Liu Suchen sighed, opening his arms to comfort Lu Yingnan, only to be pushed away by him.

“Captain Lu, don’t be sad. There are millions of people in the world who are good at shooting. If this one doesn’t work out, the next one will be more obedient.”

Lu Yingnan responded with a “you’re sick” look.

The sidelines had initially been a harmonious scene of four coaches peacefully interacting and absorbing experience from each other.

Suddenly, with a loud CRACK, the folding chair Ling Huanzhen was sitting on collapsed.

“Holy crap! Li Xiaoran, your Qing Da chairs are flimsy! Did you deliberately give me this chair to assassinate me before the National Tournament?”

Li Xiaoran shot an annoyed glance at Ling Huanzhen’s embarrassing state, wedged in the broken chair. “Why don’t you admit that you’ve been eating too much since you retired and are almost becoming the next Gao Jinshu?”

Ling Huanzhen was stuck and couldn’t get out. Passersby Huo Cheng and He Denglou really wanted to laugh, but they grabbed the broken chair from the left and right, allowing Ling Huanzhen to crawl out.

Looking up, Ling Huanzhen saw Xia Chiyi leaning next to Zhou Zhexiao, laughing heartlessly, his hair trembling with mirth.

“You little ungrateful brat!”

Hearing Li Xiaoran’s roast, Ling Huanzhen grew worried. He really didn’t want to become a fat man like Gao Jinshu, so he started looking everywhere for a scale, wanting to immediately check his weight.

Amused, Liu Suchen brought over an electronic scale for him. Ling Huanzhen first took off his shoes and stepped onto it. Looking at the number, he revealed an expression of disbelief, then took the whistle off his neck.

Liu Suchen crouched next to the scale, comforting him, “This Polo shirt and golf pants you’re wearing must weigh at least a kilo.”

“This isn’t an issue of one kilo…” Ling Huanzhen covered his eyes.

It hadn’t even been a year since he retired, and he had actually gained 15 pounds!

Yang Huaiyu walked over with a smile. “Coach Ling, for the sake of your weight, how about getting some exercise?”

“Huh?”

“I heard it was you who recommended to Coach Li Xiaoran that I play power forward. Shouldn’t you impart some martial arts secrets to me?” Yang Huaiyu asked.

The pressure from his bursting weight made Ling Huanzhen full of desire to exercise.

“Alright! Bring it on! I’ll let you kids know that old ginger is still spicier!” Having said that, Ling Huanzhen lowered his center of gravity and slapped the floor imposingly.

A group of forwards and centers surrounded him. At first, they discussed various techniques for boxing out and blocking, which then turned into a three-on-three scrimmage.

Even if his stamina and speed were no match for his youth, some instincts were carved into his DNA.

Ling Huanzhen’s nuanced execution of various techniques greatly benefited everyone on the court.

Watching from the sidelines, Xia Chiyi saw Ling Huanzhen use minimal effort to deflect He Denglou’s shot from the side. Despite being a big man, he had agile lateral movement, blocking Yang Huaiyu to the point where he couldn’t even shoot! Defending under the basket was like a bayonet fight between centers, yet he managed to box out Huo Cheng, leaving him with zero opportunities.

“Holy crap! Holy crap! Did you see that? Isn’t that too amazing?” Xia Chiyi clapped like a seal on the sidelines.

Zhou Zhexiao said calmly, “If he were three years younger, Ling Huanzhen would compete with them using strength and explosive power. But now, he’s entirely focused on technique.”

“Using only technique, it already feels like a college student playing against middle schoolers.” Xia Chiyi watched closely.

“Experience and awareness elevate Ling Huanzhen above their physical stamina.”

They actually played for a full forty minutes. Out of breath, Ling Huanzhen leaned on his knees, sweat dripping profusely from his hair.

Everyone thought he would sigh and say something like “I’m old” or “The younger generation surpasses the older.” Unexpectedly, he pointed at Liu Suchen and said, “Bring the scale over… my weight… let’s see if it dropped…”

“Right away!”

Liu Suchen turned and sprinted off, bringing the electronic scale right in front of Ling Huanzhen.

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[Author’s Note]
Jiao Yingfeng: You dummy, how could you gain so much weight less than a year after retiring? Those brats secretly stepped on the scale.